Aussie sausage rolls

 To badly misquote Bon Scott, "It's a long way to the shop if you want a sausage roll."

In my childhood, there was rarely a birthday party or family gathering where sausage rolls did not appear. Up until my later primary school years, they were always homemade, but then more commercially-made options became available. Party sausage rolls are still available in the freezer section of supermarkets, in packs of 12 or 24. These 2-3 cm bite-sized treats remain popular for feeding multi-generational crowds, but nothing beats homemade ones.

In 2020, as Melbourne was learning the rhythm of life in lockdown, the Country Women's Association of Victoria began hosting fortnightly pop-up shops, initially as a fundraiser but more importantly as a community event. Our long, sweeping driveway allowed for drive-thru service with minimal contact. Freshly baked scones and a rotation of other baked goods were on offer. As the token coeliac, I always provided at least one gluten-free option. Then in April, Deputy State President Pam Mawson told me we were going to offer sausage rolls at the next pop-up—could I make some that were gluten-free? I had to admit I hadn't made any for well over 30 years, let alone gluten-free ones. But the challenge was set.

First, I joined the team working with Pam in the gargantuan effort of making 700 "ordinary" sausage rolls. With lots of laughter under masks and much chatting, it's amazing anything got baked that day, but secrets were shared.

I went home to make these gluten-free, and they were a big hit!

There is always a lot of discussion among CWA members regarding any recipe, and this one is no different—especially concerning the choice of meat. You can purchase a product called "sausage meat," sold in a tube and with a very gluggy texture from being minced very finely. The consensus among CWA cooks is that it has the wrong consistency and is also too fatty. Hence, in this recipe, I use beef and pork sausages and just remove the skins.

A special note for gluten-free fresh breadcrumbs: If you're using commercially produced sliced bread—the kind bought in plastic bags at the supermarket—you'll need to lightly toast the bread before putting it in your food processor. Otherwise, the bread will form a moist clump and be difficult to break up. I tend to save the crusts from my homemade sourdough loaves, which don't need to be toasted first.

There's no end to the variety of sausage roll fillings—try chicken mince, pork with apple and fennel, or pork with lemongrass, ginger, and chilli, just to name a few.

For all the tips, check out my YouTube video below the recipe.

Recipe

Makes 12

• 250 g mince beef

• 250 g mince pork

• 1/2 cup grated onion (1 medium onion)

• 1/2 cup grated carrot (1 medium carrot)

• 2 tsp crushed garlic

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tbl mixed herbs

• 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

• 2 sheets puff pastry

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 200°C

Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Into a large bowl place the mince, onion, carrot, garlic, salt, herbs, and breadcrumbs. Using your hands, mix well to combine. Divide the mixture into 4.

In a small bowl beat together the egg and milk.

Working with one pastry sheet at a time, cut in half horizontally. Take 1/4 of the mixture and form it into a log along the middle of the pastry rectangle. Using a pastry brush, bush some egg was along the long edge of the pastry. Fold the pastry over and press over the join. Use a fork to crimp the edges.

Cut the roll into 3 (approx 5 cm) and place on the tray.

Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Brush all sausage rolls with the egg wash and using a sharp knife make 3 slashes along the top to release steam and ensure your pastry remains crisp.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Serve with tomato sauce or chutney.

Updated October 2023